We're off to Winnipeg: 13 June - 3 July

09-Jun-2016WINNIPEG, MANITOBA: 13th June - 3rd July 2016
Hosted now by the Scottish Heritage Council of Manitoba ... the tapestry begins its journey across Canada after successful landfall in Victoria BC

The role of the Scots in the foundation of the city of Winnipeg and the Hudson Bay Company is a profound one depicted in CA 19* below.

Seven of Canada's 36 panels were stitched in Winnipeg - although just two are shown here. The other five and the balance of all 304 panels from 34 nations across the globe are on display at Manitoba Legislature, Winnipeg, from June 13th/ July 3rd, hosted by the Scottish Heritage Council of Manitoba.

These exhibition dates include not only Canada Day itself but also the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Seven Oaks on June 19th depicted in CA 23** below!

In 1670 the Hudson's Bay Company located their headquarters at York Factory on the shores of Hudson Bay. Initial employees were recruited from England and Ireland, but in 1702 they started recruiting at Stromness, Orkney. These men became the first Scots in Western Canada, forming three-quarters of the Hudson’s Bay’s workforce by the late 1700's. They were paid £6–£8 per year and served approximately 5 years, with several becoming officers. Many decided to stay in Canada, marrying First Nations women who provided an important link between the two cultures, acting as translators, sewing clothing, preparing food and providing companionship.

The Hudson's Bay and North West Companies struggled for control of the fur trade in the Red River Valley, their rivalry exacerbated by the Selkirk Settlers. Hudson’s Bay supported the settlement and food supplies they could eventually offer. North West opposed the settlement along with the Métis who feared farming could interfere with hunting and the pemmican (dried bison meat) trade. Frictions escalated when exportation of pemmican was banned to provide food for the struggling settlers. During the Battle of Seven Oaks (1816), 21 settlers led by Governor Semple were killed during a confrontation with Nor' Westers and Métis hunters led by Cuthbert Grant.